


Chips Are Down

by Purpledragon6



Category: Infinity Train (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Enemies, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Internal Conflict, Redemption, Suggestive Themes, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Trapped, Unresolved Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27155788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purpledragon6/pseuds/Purpledragon6
Summary: An AU where Grace is spared by Simon but is now a prisoner of the Apex.An enemy in a once familiar territory, the former leader fights to take her rightful place on her throne by any means necessary.
Relationships: Simon Laurent/Grace Monroe
Comments: 38
Kudos: 58





	1. Step 1

**Author's Note:**

> (Its baaaaaack!)

It had all happened so fast- being lead out of the Mall Car, held back by children she didn't want to hurt- escaping to the bridge. She barely had time to register her own words- was it a desperate plea or a last ditch effort to talk some sense into Simon? He attacked her moments later. There was barely enough time between then and her next breath. Her arms were thrown up and she was dodging him. Surviving but barely. 

_Remember your training, Grace... You've taken out bigger than him-_

She was on her back now. Simon was looming over her now. Murder was in his eyes, but she could see the hurt behind them. For just an instance, Grace wondered if she could bring her friend back out. If she could talk him down from the ledge one last time-

"Another hollow apology, Grace?" 

The pain was gone. Replaced with disgust and anger. He looked down on her like a null- a void. Something beneath him. A nothing that would never rise to his side again. When she looked into those eyes, she no longer saw her friend and knew she never would again. 

Tears, angry and bitter formed at the corners of her eyes. There was no bringing Simon Laurent back from this. "No! I'm not responsible for your problems. I don't owe you anything!" 

Simon stepped back. Grace knew better than to assume he was backing down. He was going in to finish her off. 

"You owe me EVERYTHING!" 

She braced herself for pain that never came. A flash of deep black shot between the pair like lighting. Its tell tale shriek following behind it. Neither of them had to get a good look at it to know what it was- it landed onnthe bridge with a heavy thud. 

Panic sunk in after she was sitting upright again. Simon was kneeling beside her, seemingly just as frozen in fear as she was. The Gohm hadn't noticed them yet- it was sniffling around the other end of the bridge- searching. Long antennas were creeping along the metal slowly when the creature's large head shot up and turned in their direction. A loud, deafening shriek confirmed that it had found what it was looking for- 

It had all happened in an instance. One moment she was on her back, facing down death and the next- Simon's hand was finding her's. They locked together tightly, as they always had when a raid went wrong. The ex-leader was to her feet again and they were running together. They didn't stop until they were all safely back in their car and the doors were locked up tight. 

Outside, they could still hear it. The skittering and shrieking of that horrible creature. It wanted in... It wanted them. They were safe, but they were trapped where they were. 

"What do we do, Simon?" The Apex children all muttered. They were all looking to their leader. "With the Void- the monst-"

Simon released Grace's hand quickly and began to pace. She could see the gears in his head rapidly turning. Something she was accustomed to seeing him so in a past life, but unable to recognize it now. The new leader looked less like her Simon and more of a phantom impersonating a dead man's mannerisms. 

"The Void can stay- but don't let her talk to you." The man snapped, turning quickly towards the escalator. "No one is to go out until we can safely deal with the Gohm. Understood?"

The children all stood in soldier formation, their backs straight and arms held tightly to their sides. It was unsettling, in Grace's mind. She remembered a time when they were all a rowdy yet sweet group of kids. They were almost unrecognizable like this. So full of fear...

"Understood!" They yelled in unison, expressions hardening as they did. 

"Good... Dismissed." 

The group scattered quickly, all retreating to their own separate corners of the car, but Grace could tell she still had an auidence. They were hiding, waiting to see what their former leader would do next.

"Simon-" She called up to him, taking a brave step forward. "You saved-"

His hand shot up, "Don't read into it, Void..."

With that, her former friend disappeared up the lift and walked swiftly across the bridge. From where she stood, she could make out the still shaken expression on his face. The look of a frightened child. The same frightened child who she had saved all that time ago. A familiar face. 

Her heart pounded behind her ribs. She could see through his leader act now. He was scared- defeated, but for how long?

_If these are my last words to my old friend, then he's going to listen._

"Not a good enough answer!" She called as she bolted up his side of the lift. Fists were at the ready this time. The woman no longer needed a moment to breath or to think. She was prepared for a fight now. 

"I told you not to talk, Vo-" The first swing seemed to take him by surprise- landing on the left side of his jaw. 

His hand went up, just as Grace's had earlier. The man barely dodged the second blow to the right. 

"Well too bad. If this is the last time we get to talk, then so be it." Another swing. "You wanted to fight, so fight me. This time on a level field. No wheels or long drops."

Simon threw a punch in response, missing by a significant margin. "I don't have time for games, Void. If you hadn't noticed, theres a-"

"I noticed-" Another swing. "I also noticed you helped me without a second thought and I want to know why."

She set her palms flat against his chest and shoved him back. The proud leader toppled over onto his back. Out of breath and out of bridge, she loomed over him the way he had loomed over her outside. Without any clear and present danger around them, she was able to stand calmly. 

"I don't have to answer that." Simon, her Simon, muttered. He had turned away from her. 

"You just tried to kill me. I deserve an answer for why you didn't." Grace's tone was firm. The voice of a leader. 

"No. You don't." Simon slid out from under her with ease and was to his feet again. He turned and continued towards his bedroom as if nothing had happened. "Go back to your room, Void. Leave me to my work."

How she wanted to go after him. So full of adrenaline that she would have- but small eyes were still watching her... She could leave him for another day. Right now, she needed to focus on survival- everyones. 


	2. Simon Says

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was just as he said.

They were playing a game. 

One of pretend. The false king declared that no one speak to her- so that's what they did. The Apex kids walked by her as though she were a ghost. They ignored her whenever she tried to speak to them in private- all because Simon had said to do so. None of the children wanted to risk 'losing' the game- do they did what he said. Except for one...

"Simon says no one can talk to the Void." Lucy muttered, never once looking at Grace. 

"Simon doesn't control you or any of us, Lucy!" Grace argued, trying to step into the girl's line of sight. "I'm still the leader- he can play king all he wants, but he has no real power-"

"Simon says Grace is a Void." Lucy went on, dropping her gaze to the floor.

"Simon has been hauled up in his room since I got here. You can talk to me-" A small hand waved in front of Grace.

"Simon says anyone caught conspiring against him are to be punished for it." Lucy said, glancing over her shoulder quickly. 

"Simon isn't here right now- and I can take him! Honest-" Another handwave and Grace went silent.

Only this time, it wasn't Lucy who responded.

It was Todd.

"LUCY! You weren't talking to the Void were you? Oooh- you're going to be in so much trouble!" The boy sneered, turning quickly on his heels. "I'm telling! SI-"

Lucy wheeled around faster than Grace could blink and grabbed Todd by the back of his shirt. With one strong pull, she flung him to the ground like a sack of flour and landed a particularly hard punch to his face. The boy blinked, his eyes teary as he touched his now bloodied lip. 

"I wasn't talking to the Void." Lucy growled in a tone that startled even Grace. "I was thinking outloud about things Simon says..."

Todd whimpered and flinched as Lucy raised her little fist again. "You got that?" The boy nodded, stumbled to his feet and rushed off.

Grace was too mortified by the display to move. Part of her wanted to run after him- to see if he was okay, and yet the physical part of herself just stood there, absolutely dumbfounded and she gauwked at who was once her sweet little Lucy. 

"L-Luce- Who taught you to throw a punch like that...?" Her throat felt like sandpaper and her palms itched from sweat. 

"Simon doesn't have any real power. The Void says so..." The girl replied bluntly, blinking her good eye- (or perhaps she was winking).

"What are you saying-?" Grace tightened her hand into a fist. "You kids are his bodyguards now or something!?"

"Simon says he doesn't have favorites." Lucy said, "But he does..."

"You're not making any sense- I'm going to go talk to Simon-" Grace turned sharply on her heels and started off towards the lift.

"Simon says he isn't in his room." The woman stopped and glanced over her shoulder. Lucy still wouldn't look at her. 

"...Where is Simon right now?"

"Simon says he's in his study." Lucy was once again looking elsewhere. A potted plant was the one she spoke to now.

_She isn't talking to me... Just 'thinking outloud'... Smart kid..._

"Where is that?"

"Simon says he needed to be somewhere quiet."

_The Library._

"Thanks Lucy..."

* * *

When Grace found Simon, her heart was racing a mile a minute. Her fists were ready to clock him harder than Lucy had Todd. That sweet, innocent baby girl was a trained soldier and it absolutely infuriated Grace. Meanwhile that false leader was tucked away in the library, casually reading a manual as if none of that had happened. 

"Simon!" She swung and barely missed his jaw. 

The man slipped off of the stool he had been perched on. "You're supposed to be in your room, Void-"

"Cut the crap! Lucy just K.Oed Todd!" Grace hissed as she wound up to throw another punch. Two now that Simon was smirking. 

"She's learned well-" This time she managed a blow to Simon's left.

"She's just a kid! She isn't your damn bodyguard-" Simon swung, but Grace caught his fist and bent it back as hard as she could. The blonde hissed and recoiled in pain. 

While he was distracted, Grace took the chance to shove him back further. In his current state, it didn't take much force to send him crashing onto his back. For added measure, she pinned him by his shoulders and jammed her knee just under his ribs. 

"Talk." 

"S-She isn't a bodyguard..." Simon hissed through clenched teeth. "If I was going to have anyone guard me, it wouldn't be her..."

"She just hauled off and hit Todd because he was going to tell on her! Explain that! The Lucy I know would never-"

"Tell on her-?" Simon echoed, voice still pained and Grace drove her knee in harder.

"For talking to me. My kids are scared of me now, Simon and its *your* fault!" Grace set her jaw, ready for a smug response from Simon- She didn't expect the flash of shock and fear that ran behind his eyes.

"Lucy knows not to talk to you! You're lying!" Simon shoved at her hard by Grace wouldn't be moved so easily. 

"I'm lying!?" Grace growled low in her throat when Lucy's small voice re-entered her mind.

_Simon says he doesn't have favorites... But he does..._

"... So that's how it is..." The woman huffed, shoving Simon back. "Lucy is your favorite... Do the others know? What makes her so damn special to you-"

"Lucy follows orders without question, Grac-" 

"Oh, so its Grace again? What happened to 'The Void'?" She sneered, "You have no real power and you know it. You scared the kids into listening to you but now that I'm back, you need to watch them closer because they don't *listen* when they're not scared."

"Enough!" With a particularly hard shove, Grace crashed to the ground. She was back on her feet before Simon was. "That's not it at all-"

"Everyone else betrayed you already. You're scared that the kids will do the same." She surmised. "Thats why you don't let them talk to me-" 

"I can have you wheeled for this-" Simon hissed, hurrying to his feet. "You know the kids would wheel you."

"They wouldn't. They were scared that day! I saw it on all of their faces." She stepped forward, reveling as Simon stepped back. "They let me go that day too. Did you forget that?"

Simon's glare hardened. He clenched and unclenched his fists angrily. "APEX!" 

Before Grace had a moment to breathe, her wrists were grabbed roughly. As she wheeled around, she found that they were being held fast by two of the older Apex Kids- Aiden and Maurice if she recalled. Both had been on the football or wrestling team prior to boarding the Train. She could probably take them one-on-one, but in a battle of three against one-

"Take the Void to her room and make sure she stays there." Simon hissed, gathering his disgarded manual. "Under no circumstances are you to speak to her." 

"Yes Simon." The boys said, all but dragging Grace out of the Library. 

Grace stumbled over her feet, but straightened herself out and sent Simon a knowing glare of her shoulder. Just as they were out the door, she once again saw a glimpse of the old Simon. Unsure and scared. His control was slipping and they both knew it. 

* * *

The library had become his sanctum.

His sanctuary- a place untouched by the Void and the others. That wretched creature could spread it's lies that this used to be *it's* favorite spot to hide out in. It could say that it had read every book that lined these shelves and had discovered their group's name in one of these books. But Simon knew better. He knew the Void like the back of his hand and it sickened him.

He knew every room the Void had been in since they first discovered this car. The knowledge that it had been in his room- shared his bed once, and touched things belonging to him- it drove him absolutely mad. More often, Simon felt as though he could never truly rid himself of the Void. Not though death- not through imprisonment. Even now, tucked away in the furthest corner of the Car with nothing but his own thoughts- It was there... Always following him, even into the dark. 

It was maddening-

A clattering book startled him back to reality. Simon searched the area for the noise and found that it came from his own disgarded manual. One he had thrown without realizing. He could hear the Void now- tsking at him for losing his temper again... Another book was taken into shaking hands and thrown just as far. And another- then the side table was flipped and a lamp was shattered until soon his once quiet sitting area was in utter disarray. 

Yet the voice in his head never stopped. 

_You're not a leader..._

_You have no power here..._

_You couldn't even kill me..._

_The kids will betray you eventually..._

With a frustrated cry, the man reached for another book, ready to throw it at a monster that wasn't there when-

A small, cold hand took his. Simon tensed up instantly and turned quickly, ready to switch targets when he found- "Lucy..."

"Simon?" The little girl cocked her head to one side. 

The blonde slowly lowered the book to his side. The table it belonged on had been flipped over already, so he simply tossed it on the floor. It clattered loudly, several of its papers came loose and decorated the floor. Neither him nor Lucy paid it any mind. 

"What is it, Lucy...? I'm busy." He sighed, then turned and set his chair upright. 

He settled heavily into the chair and rested his head on his hand. He supposed there was no point in hiding his pain from Lucy. She was loyal- never asked questions. The girl also thought a lot like him. She was good at finding uses for things... Above all, Lucy reminded Simon a lot of himself for some reason or another-

_Don't get comfortable around her just yet... The Void said it spoke to Lucy today... Find out what she knows first._

"What brings you to _my_ library, Lucy?" The man sat up and folded his hands in his lap.

His voice had taken on a calm yet accusing tone that he was sure the girl had picked up on. 

"Did... Did Todd come talk to you today?" The girl asked, her single eye dropping to her shoes. "I heard someone leave-"

"N-no..." A cough. He didn't like the sound of that. "No... That was the Void."

"Did you speak to it?" Lucy's single eye set itself into his and against everything- he flinched. 

"Not at all." Simon looked up, wrinkling his nose slightly at the thought- the lie... "But It did try to tell me the most interesting thing... That you had talked to her."

_Lucy wouldn't lie..._

The blonde rose from his chair and clasped his hands behind his back. In long strides, he stepped over to the girl, watching for any sort of change in her stance. Her arms remained folded behind her back, mirroring his own- a sure sign that she was not closed off and in turn- untrustworthy. Still, he took another step closer and rose an accusing eyebrow.

"I told her that was ridiculous since _You_ would know better and _wouldn't_ lie to me."

"We're not allowed to talk to the void." The girl replied, eyes focused on his.

"That is precisely what I said." He lied, stopping just before Lucy. "I don't have favorites, as you know. But I would just hate it if you were lying to me, Lucy."

"Why would I lie to you?" Lucy frowned, and set her lips into a tight line. 

"Because everyone lies to me." Simon hissed, dropping so that he was eye level with the child.

In truth- he felt sickened by his tone, his demeanor. Somewhere in his heart turned stone, he knew it was wrong. Somewhere where the Void hadn't claimed him- he knew he had to stop. A firm hand was placed on Lucy's shoulder. She set her sights on it, and kept a close watch. 

Her gaze was cold on his skin- it reminded him of the Null. The way the blonde child had glared at him was something that he still saw behind his closed eyes. It haunted him- followed him along with the Void... Unshakable and just as maddening. 

"Your hand-" Lucy began, studying it closely. "Has a lot of scars on it..."

"Excuse me?" He took his hand back as if the child had burned him. 

"When I first joined the Apex, you wore gloves." Lucy went on, her eye going back to his. "Black ones without fingers... I never saw you without them until I lost my eye."

He stepped back. "Thats right..."

"I was upset- and you were the one who patched me up... And said I'd have a scar from it." Another step back.

"What about it?"

"You said scars added to a man's character." Lucy took a step forward and flipped her eyepatch up. There was a thin line where her left eye should have been, with a large scar running perpendicular down it like a strange pink lightning bolt. "I always believed that."

The sickening feeling returned full force, like a black lump in the pit of his stomach- but he hid it with a frown. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Why did you stop wearing them?" 

By then, Simon returned to his chair and had sat back down. He resumed resting his head on his hand- thoughts oddly silent as he began to search them for an answer. He remembered that day- not in perfect detail, but well enough. Maybe a year or two earlier. Lucy had only been 4 at the time- an act of curiosity involving a harpoon pack had cost her her eye... True to her story, it had been Simon who patched up the screaming tot. Her wailing had gotten worse with her diagnosis-

Simon vaguely recalled his gloves- black fingerless ones that he used during raids and carving after one too many knife cuts. Some intentional, and others accidental... They were to him what ~~Grace~~ the Void's opera gloves were to it. A way to conceal from the world... For him- his hid scars. For it- it hid the truth... He had stopped wearing his when he found that his scars meant something to someone. For Little Lucy, they meant companionship.

Or so he had always assumed. 

"Why are you telling me this?" He hummed, raising his head tiredly. 

"Did you lie about that, Simon?" Lucy's tone was empty. "About scars having character?"

Simon's blood ran cold at the accusation. He sat up stiffly, as if someone had driven a pole down his back. His mouth felt dry, and for a moment, he found himself unable to speak.

"N-no!" He choked out at last. "I'm not the Void- I never lie!" 

_That was a lie..._

"Good... That's why I'd never lie to you." Lucy smiled, so sweet and innocent that for a moment- Simon almost believed her.

_She's a spy for the Void..._

_No- Lucy would never lie._

"Good... If thats all, you are dismissed." Simon said sternly, searching the floor for something he could pretend to read. 

"Okay, Simon." The girl turned quickly, "Oh- and one more thing."

"What is it, Lucy?" His hand found a book and he lifted it with a purpose.

"Can I borrow the stagelight from your room? I promise I'll put it back." And just like that- the Void's influence seemed to vanish from the girl.

Any doubt of his seemed to go with it. Any distrust he had for the girl was gone, and he remembered again why he trusted her in the first place. Simon felt a relaxed smile settle over his face- one thst mirrored Lucy's.

"Sure... Just be careful around my dioramas, okay?" His voice sounded different- but that didn't startle him in the least bit. 

"Okay! I will!" The girl turned quickly and raced from the room. 

As she left, the fog left by the Void went with. For the first time all afternoon- Simon felt able to breathe again... With a soft sigh, he began to repair the damage the Void caused him to inflict on his sitting area. 


	3. Kaleidoscope Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Minor edits have been made if you may have noticed. The original drafting of this story got changed so I figured the set-up should to.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grace's POV

Her bedroom- her things- her safe haven away from the world. 

All of it lay in ruins. **Void** labeled everything she had ever owned. Thick foul smelling oils and mud had be streak around the entirety of the walls. And what was worse- a thick wall of slittes metal trapped her inside with it. There wasn't much more she could do that just look at the mess and pray it went away- 

_Don't let him know he won... He doesn't even know it yet..._

Tears burned her eyes, and her stomach wretched, but she forced herself to touch the mess. Her ruined clothes were tossed into a pile in the corner. Rotted garbage that had been tossed about her room like confetti was gathered up and tossed onto the burned remains of her bedspread. She knotted it up into a makeshift garbage bag. All the while, she felt the saddened eyes of the Apex kids as they watched her struggle to rebuild.

She paid them no mind... They had reacted in fear and anger when they did this. Grace would *never* hold the damage against them. But Simon- on the other hand, she would hold him to the burner until he was in flames. Whatever Demon or Void had invaded his mind definitely wasn't her.

Shaking her head clear of the evil thought, she resumed her work. Small spots of floor were beginning to become visible. It warmed her heart a little, and pushed her on. More piles were made and old heirlooms pitched without thought. However, in the midst of her cleaning- she came across something of interest. Something unmarked by the black spraypaint that tarnished everything else in her room;

A wooden doll.

One of Simon's, and one of the first he had carved on his own. It was disproportionate and lumpy, with streaks of red where the knife had slipped, but Grace still recognized it as a crude attempt at her. Simon have never bequeathed it to her- if she recalled correctly. He had always kept it in a locked China cabinet in his bedroom...

Digging a little further in, Grace came across another doll. A little mailman. She recalled the day Simon had presented it to her. They were 15 and she held it high above his head and they laughed at how perfect all the little details were. That doll had always been on the far right shelf in Simon's room. Right next to the flamenco figure that had come from a kit. 

"Why are they here then...?" She wondered outloud, just needing someone to talk to. "Simon loved these figures... He never let anyone else near them-"

_Anyone except me..._

With a gulp, Grace tucked the figures against her side and continued to dig through the pile of rubble. She came across the forward to Simon's book, his hoodie that _she_ had gifted him, anything of his that she had ever laid a hand on during their time together.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Grace frowned deeply and kicked at the mess. "He really hates me *that* much?"

A deep frown etched its way onto Grace's face and she kicked Simon's possessions away from her. They clattered loudly on the floor. She could only scoff at it before she stomped over to metal wall that kept her from finding Simon and beating him again.

"Aiden! Maurice!" She called to the two boys who had been guarding her cell. 

Out of habit, they turned to their former leader. A frightened look passed over their faces and they quickly turned away to pretend they hadn't heard her.

"Go tell Simon he needs to come get his stuff out of my room." Grace went on, voice firm. 

"We're not to speak to the Void." Aiden muttered, "Right Maurice?"

"Yeah..." 

_They're playing Lucy's game..._

_Then I guess its time to play mine..._

"Look, I'm not mad at either of you... You boys know me- I wouldn't hurt either of you." Grace began.

Her tone the same honey sweet one she had used to lure others in to do her bidding. She hated to use it again, after how far she had come- and she felt her number inching back up her arm... But if she was going to save her team, she was willing to deal with the consequences later. "Simon isn't your leader and you know that. I can handle him with or without my number."

"N-numbers are power here." Maurice coughed quietly into his hand. "... You don't even have your mark anymore..."

"Do you really want to wear it either? Do you really want to follow Simon's lead?" Grace dropped her voice to a whisper.

Two more Apex children, Donna and Sharon, walked by. Their heads were bowed low as they dragged their harpoon packs behind them. The sure sign of a very unsuccessful raid. Grace's heart clenched. When she was in power, an unsuccessful raid was brushed off, but with Simon in charge- 

She gripped the slits in the wall under her knuckles went caramel in colour. The wall shook under her grip. 

"We don't." Maurice muttered, "But he has the highest number-"

"I kicked his ass twice already. You know Simon. He can put up a front but thats all it is- Our numbers don't hold any real power-"

"Grace-" One muttered and her heart swelled with hope. Just when she thought she was getting through to the boys when-

"What. Are. You. Doing." Simon's voice was like a knife through her ears. All condescending but with no backing. It was pathetic.

"N-nothing Simon!" The boys replied in unison, straighting out quickly. "Guarding the Void, sir."

"You were speaking to it. Thats against the rules isn't it?" Simon's tone was a bitter poison compared to Grace's. 

The boys stiffened up, and Grace could see them both shake in fear. "Leave them alone, Simon!"

The blonde's face twitched and he turned his attention to Grace for a moment. Fire burned behind his eyes and he snapped his gaze back to the boys. "Leave us... Before the Void has a chance to infect you both."

"Yes Simon!" They called, hurrying off as fast as they could in the direction Donna and Sharon had gone in. Grace watched them sadly as they went. 

She then turned her head and watched as Simon produced a key from his pocket. The lock that held the wall in place clicked opened loudly and the blonde stepped in and locked it before she had a change to slip passed him and escape. 

"If you're here, it better be to get your stuff out of my room." Grace snapped. 

"Your room? I believe you mean Grace's Room." Simon growled, taking a step forward. "You remember her- _my friend_ before those Nulls came along and changed her."

"I still am Grace!" 

"Lies!" A fist swung and punched the wall behind her.

Bits of drywall crumbled under it, but Grace refused to flinch. Instead, she reached up and set a hand over Simon's fist and lowered it down. He allowed it- as she knew he would. Deranged leader or not, he was still Simon- somewhere in that mind of his.

"You've lost it..." Grace hummed, "I lied to you about a lot of things, I know- but I'm not lying when I say I'm still Grace... _Your_ Grace."

She inwardly shuddered at the use of 'your', but for a moment she saw fire in his eyes die down a little. Her number was climbing up her wrist, but she was sure Simon hadn't noticed it. He was watching her in confusion now- looking at her as if he didn't recognize who she was. A faint pink tint laid at the tips of his ears. Grace knew he would hear her out now...

"You're not my Grace." He muttered, "My Grace wouldn't lie to me."

_Shit- Losing our auidence... Keep talking, Grace!_

"Neither would my Simon." Her voice was warm, but her soul was cold. 

"I never lied to you-" Unsure. Meek- that was a tone she liked to hear. 

"You told me once that you're always with me and that we're a team." She said, keeping her voice calm and even. "Even if my number went down... Even if we couldn't stop what waa causing it..."

The man went quiet. Grace could hear him swallow thickly as he looked away from her- down at his old possessions. At the things they had loved together. The unmarked items. The woman smirked for a moment.

"Was that a lie, Simon...?" 

It was as if the floodgates to Hell had opened. The fire in Simon's eyes had returned with a fury and he had Grace pressed to the wall before she had a second to breathe. "You corrupted Lucy! That's why she was acting so strange today! What did you do to her!?"

"S-Simon! I didn't do anything! Think about it!" Grace gasped, "Look at this room! I didn't corrupt anything, you did!"

"Lies!" Simon's glare hardened. 

"Then why doesn't any of your stuff have a mark on it!?" The air went still between them. Simon finally let up his hold on Grace and the woman took a second to breathe. "Your hurt and angry, but I'm not the Void, Simon. You are."

She had expected violence. More fire and shouting- but it never came. Simon stepped away from her quickly, fumbled with the key, and hurried out of the room before she had a chance to stop him...

She noticed he had forgotten to lock the door on his way out.


	4. Behind Closed Doors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace pays Simon a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has some light making out in it.

It was quiet when the Void escaped. 

All of the Apex children had retired to their own places for the night. Including her guards. She hadn't heard a peep from any of them in a while. Another tick was added to her lines on the wall. She had been counting the minutes ever since the leader had run off- watching and waiting for the best time to leave. 

And now seemed as good a time as ever. 

It wasn't a difficult task. Years of dance and of running the Apex left her with skills. She knew where every loose tile and creaking door was and she knew how to avoid them. This wasn't her first time sneaking from one spot in the Mall to the other. There were shortcuts hidden all over that only she knew about. 

Including one that lead right to his front door. 

When she came into the room, she found him at his desk. A carving knife in hand as he widdled at a piece of wood. A look of intense concentration had been carved into his stone face. A pair of black gloves protected his hands as he worked.

They'd do little to protect him from her. 

"Simon."

The half finished doll clattered against the desk and the blonde stood up so fast that his chair flew back and slammed loudly against the floor. He had his knife raised- level with his chest and held firmly. Now, Simon could throw a knife- she had seen him do it and skillfully too- but she couldn't bring it in herself to fear the blade. 

It was old- faded. The edge required extra force in order to rip a chunk of wood away. The handle was worn in places where it had been held for too long... It always slipped far too easily from Simon's hands. Tonight would be no different. 

"What are you doing out of your cell?" He hissed, but the surprise still bled through onto his mask. She could see his true feelings clearly. 

"You left the door open. I figured it was an invite." Grace hummed and she invited herself to come and sit on the edge of his desk. 

Rather than take the easy route and stab her for her boldness- Simon took a step back from her. The knife glinted brightly in the light of the overhanging light, like a small but cold flame. Grace snuffed it out with her hand. Brushing it away as though it were nothing. 

It hummed loudly as it hit the floor. The blade vibrated for a few moments before going silent. It's death rattle hung in the air a second longer before it too faded. Neither of them mourned it's loss. Grace folded her legs and turned her sights back on Simon.

"Its dark. What happened to your stage light?" She saw the man wince, but he didn't answer. "I saw it in Lucy's room on the walk over."

"You wouldn't go by Lucy's room if you were coming from-" Ah, a sentence finally... But not one Grace cared to hear the end of. She waved her hand.

"Maybe on your route. But I have my own." When Simon winced a second time, Grace allowed herself to smirk. 

"Why are you here?" He replied stiffly, taking a moment to set his chair upright. 

"You hurt my kids." Straight and to the point. She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Thats not how we do things, Simon."

"Oh really? I wouldn't know." The chair scraped loudly as he pushed it against his desk. "You changed everything without ever feeling the need to tell me. You lied to me."

"I did." 

A silence fell about them for quickly it made a noise. A soft ring that only they could hear. Simon's expression was unreadable- but Grace always did like a good story. She slid off of the desk and approached him. Like before, he backed away. 

"I lied to you to protect a stranger. I changed the rules on you without letting you know, and I plan to take back the Apex." She stopped to kick out his chair so he'd have something to fall back against when she pushed him. 

The back of the chair and his head hit the wall with a sickening thud- but Simon didn't seem to feel it. His gaze was hard and set on her. She thought it was cute. Like how a small puppy might be when it growled. 

"Why would you tell me that?" He hissed, trying once to stand back up. She stopped him with a hand on his chest. 

She could feel his heart racing under her palm. When there was no Apex, no wheels, and no threat of Gohms or other cars- in short, nowhere to go and no one to help, he had always been the submissive one. The one who would follow her blindly into fire and take orders without credit. 

"You hurt my kids." She repeated. "Taking the Apex is one thing. But my kids-"

"Don't act like you care about them." Simon growled. Grace felt the vibrations against her hand. 

"The Apex takes care of one another. That used to be our mantra."

"It still would be if you hadn't chang-"

"You were the one who changed it." Another step forward and she invited herself to sit on his lap this time, effectively holding him in place. 

"What are you doing now?" Simon's tone had changed, and Grace inwardly smirked. His resolve was slipping if only for a moment.

"Call it a hunch, but I figured you wouldn't mind if I did this." She turned him and her expression hardened. "Also- you're in my seat." 

A pink tint took over Simon's face suddenly. "Your-..." His expression hardened again, "The former monarch left her throne unattended-"

"No one died and made you King." She hummed, "You couldn't even manage that." 

She felt him shift under her. She readjusted to keep him from just tossing her to the ground. 

"I'm still the leader and you bet I'm going to fight like Hell to get this all back." She wrapped an arm around his neck. "And long live the Queen-"

The first kiss hadn't come as a surprise to Grace, and yet it still drove the air from her lungs. It was hard and clumsy but still firey as she kissed back. The battle started shortly thereafter. Blood stained their lips as their kisses turned violent. Both wanted to claim dominance, but there would only be one winner this time.

Hand wound themselves into blonde and black hair as their battling continued. Only Simon ever pulled, but Grace wasn't about to crack so easily. Her tongue fought against his- if she would even call this a fight. She didn't come here to lose. She came here to win by any means. 

Like the blade, she extinguished her own flames and her kisses turned off, almost loving. She could feel Simon's confusion. But after a few seconds of soft kissing, he melted under her. His hands slowly came up to rest on her hips.

_Finally..._

She held it a second longer before the need for air pulled them away from one another. They took a moment to breathe before looking to each other again. His eyes had gone soft and dazed. The fire in them had gone away. With a hum, Grace slid off of his lap finally and went to the exit. Simon did not follow her. 

She smirked proudly and left without another word. 

.

.

. 

It was quiet when the Void infected the King. 


	5. Infected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was quiet when the Void infected the King.
> 
> Suggestive material ahead!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song lyrics are from 'Love is Dead' by Kerli.

_This is the hardest part..._   
_When you feel like a fake..._   
_All that you have has become unreal..._   
_Collapsing and aching..._

_The walls about him felt changed somehow. A darkness crept up in places he couldn't see. He could see it out of the corner of his eyes but whenever his body, paralyzed by sleep, allowed him to turn his head- the shadows had vanished._

_He had figured they must have returned to the Void who had sent them..._

_Yet, even without the shadows, the steel grey walls of his bedroom remained changed in some way. Not a noticeable difference, but the longer he stared at them, the more they began to melt and morph around him. They'd change until he blinked them into behaving._

_A fever induced ability he didn't care to have. It was just another oddity left behind by the Void. The ghost from his old life- a phantom who took on the form of his once friend. Unreal as all the other nulls that ran about the Train..._

_And yet he could still feel her warmth in his skin. Could taste her on his tongue. An agonizing heat and a bitter poison that he kept coming back to. She had drugged him somehow, and left him with a terrifying high and an incurable addiction that haunted him even in his sleep._

_She had left him utterly sick with her disease. Dizzy and overheated, seeing things on the walls. An ache came with it that he tried to ignore. For whenever he thought too long about it did the shadows come back with a fury. They didn't hide from him now. They had taken over his bedroom walls until the area around him was a black canvas-_

_A Void._

_It took the air from the room- he was forced to breathe it in. The dark entered his lungs and spread throughout his body. It burned him- but at the same time it soothed him. Just as she always did when she would crawl under his skin... She had always been good at that. At picking him apart until his insides- everything he truly was- was exposed for her viewing pleasure._

_She knew him body and soul. The Void knew what cords to strike, where and how to infect him. How to drive him absolutely mad in two short sentences or less. Her poison never worked quickly. It always took time before he succumbed to it._

_At this point, his body is on fire. He was paralyzed and could do little more than lay back and let the metaphorical flames engulf him._

_I am all that you think of me..._   
_When you're beside her, inside her..._   
_It must be so hard for you to deny it and hide!_

_It infuriated him- the way the Void could control him. The way it slipped into his sleep and took over him. His hands moved to her accord. The voice in his head was hers- encouraging him in that sickeningly sweet tone he had been so accustomed to. The dark around him took on her shape._

_It was pressed against him, just as she had been when she came to dethrone him. Her lithe body fit so perfectly against his- he wanted her closer. Wanted to tear the Void ooen and hopefully find his Grace still there... He berated himself for it... He should have known better to let the Void get so close-_

_"Grace-" Her name felt like a knife, sliding fluidly off of his tongue from many nights of practice- whether or not this was a slip up or a correction..._

_His lungs burned and he set his jaw. Furious, erratic. Needing to be free from the fire building inside of him. Eyes burned with tears._

_"You have no power, Simon..." The Void cooed lovingly to him. It was right._

_He never did._

_He had always been powerless. To his Leader's will, to the Apex. Of course, he had always known this. The Queen had him in checkmate the moment she stepped through their door. The pawns had all crossed the board and had been transformed into her army. In their game of chess, he stood along..._

_But Simon had always liked difficult games... And this game was one he intended to win._

_"Long live the Queen~"_

* * *

The fever broke as his eyes opened. He came to, shaking and furious. The last of the Void's warmth lingered a second longer before slipping away from him. He could see it as it slunk back off to _her_ room. Beads of sweat slid down his temples and joined angered tears on his pillowcase. 

He sat up, still trembling miserably. The Void's poison had yet to ware off. It still pumped through his veins. Destroying him- corrupting him- urging him to do insane things. It dripped from his fingertips and soaked into his sheets, making them too uncomfortably hot for his liking. Simon stood quickly and stumbled for the room's exit. 

The cool air of the quiet Mall Car soothed him, but only for a moment as he stumbled through the dark. He had intended to go to his safe haven. To hide somewhere the Void hadn't touched, but she still had control of his limbs... She must have.

Why else would he go straight to her bedroom?

It was well lit, and inviting when he arrived. The Void was perched on her bed with a stolen book on her lap. One from HIS Library, which was no longer a safe place. She knew it as well as he did and she smirked at him when he entered her bedroom... She had planned this. 

He felt her eyes rake over him a moment and a shiver ran down his spine. Just as he had in sleep, he felt paralyzed- furious. Utterly ashamed and angry at the Void and himself. 

"Si-" She never finished his name... He wasn't sure what he would have done if she had- if he would have done anything different. 

The overhead light was switched off, but they still managed to find one another in the dark. Hands furiously raked over clothes and then bare skin as a heated kiss connected them both. Fury, desire, anger, love- it was all so muddled as they fought one another. Both determined to best the other- to poison one another.

The effects were immediate this time. They both shared the symptoms. Writhing and aching against one another as the fevers set in and the illusion of this being anything more took over their minds. 

"I love you-" A lie the Void made them whisper to one another. Over and over again.

With a final, soft cry- they joined one another in oblivion. Swollowed completely by the dark. 

* * *

When he awoke next- she was still there. Wrapped around him with her eyes wide open. He kissed her bruised lips. It was cold and empty compared to before. It was nothing more than a send off. The Void's control had been broken long enough for him to find his clothes and redress. 

"The kids won't be up for a few more hours. You could stay if you want." Sweet and teasing... It sounded so much like his Grace that he almost took the offer. 

"No." He left it at that, and left quickly thereafter. 

A certain tiredness walked with him as he returned to his room to await when the Void would beacon him again... 

* * *

"This is the last time-"

Ever since the Void had infected him, he found it easier and easier to lie. They slipped off of his tongue so effortlessly. His voice sounded less and less of his own. Always softer and borderline loving whenever he'd send the Void off for the night...

It always found its way back into his room- but then again, that was always his fault. The clouds in his head made him forget to lock his door each night... Or perhaps he had let her in. He couldn't remember anymore. He hardly remembered when they had moved things to his room. Part of him wondered if that too was the Void's doing. Her way of showing off to him-

"You're getting better at that-" Her voice sounded in his ear.

A blush came over his face so fast that for a moment he forgot what he was doing. A sharp pain in his palm and the clattering of a knife hitting the desk followed. The doll he had been working on was stained red... As red as the lipstick stains she would leave on his skin during their private meetings during the day. Her mark and silent signal to the children that she was winning-

He had tried to keep it from them, but he felt his attempts were futile. 

For while he found it easier to lie to them, he had also found that he was incredibly bad at it. Espeically knowing what he had done- he. Like the Void had tattooed their sins over his skin... Even yesterday he had barely explained away the red and purple stains Lucy had noticed on his shoulder. And who should be watching the encounter but the Void.

...

"Simon? What's that on your shoulder?"

Lucy's innocent voice brought him nothing guilt. He didn't have to look to know what she was referring to. His face went red and his opposite hand hurried to cover the mark. The one left when the Void lingered a little too long...

"Just a raid injury... Don't worry about it." Simon couldn't look her in the eye.

A at once he felt like he was in flames, only this time the feeling was Hellish. His number burned his skin as it crawled further up his face- Yet Lucy kept watch on him. Her tiny face was scrunched in concern... He hurried off shortly after that- only getting so far before the Void caught up with him.

"Funny. I haven't seen you go on a raid since the Gohm showed up." The Void mused. "But you wouldn't lie to Lucy, right?"

"Stop it."

"I'm not the one doing anything."

His stomach dropped and he slipped quickly into his room and shut the door. His face felt like it was wet and on fire simultaneously. He brushed his cheek with shaking fingertips and brought them back stained with lipstick and tears...

...

Blood replaced the lipstick this time. It ran thickly down his palm and reminded him just how alive he truly was. Even with the bright green number coating his palms, he could still make out the rest as it pooled in his hand. It reminded him of his days in church with his mother. A chalice of gold and promises of forgiveness of sin made up his every Sunday. 

Yet here is where he ended up. A sinner burning alive as the Devil continued to control him... They had warned him she would be beautiful... He could see his mother's face now. Cold and cruel as she saw what her son had allowed to happen...

It made him furious.

"What are you doing in here?" He snapped, wadding up a nearby rag and pressing it to his wounded hand. 

"The kids went on a raid and I thought I'd come visit you." Her arms settled on his shoulders and she leaned over him, inspecting her handiwork. "You got yourself pretty bad..."

He didn't have the strength to knock her away. His hand throbbed in time with his rapid heartbeat. "Thanks for the observation, Void."

The Void stepped back, feigning a wound of her own as she clasped a hand over the spot where her own heart would be. "Its Void again...? I could have sworn it was Grace last night." 

Simon winced at the name. He slammed the ruined down down hard enough to leave a mark in his work surface. Right next to the nail marks the Void had left when- 

"What do you want from me?" It was pathetic. There was no edge to his tone. Those were all dulled down now. 

"I want you to see reason." She sighed, carding her fingers through his hair. "Simon, this is all crazy and you know it-"

"And you hope to somehow accomplish that goal by seducing me?" Simon scoffed and knocked her hand away, slowly rising from his chair. "Is that it?"

"That depends- is it working?" She smirked so playfully.

The man balled up a fist in anger. He wanted to punch that beautiful face. To silence the Void and her lies once and for all- And yet as always, he chose her route. Simon Pulled her close and kiss her quiet. He cradled her face with his good hand almost lovingly... And lied.

"Yes." 

No... Not a full lie. It was working- in a way. His resolve was weakening. Nights where it was just the two of them is when he felt he could think clearly again. The fog in his brain would fall away long enough that the Void looked like his Grace again. It made him wonder if that too was an empty lie or-

Perhaps that was the truth...? 

No... I'm always right... The Void is-

"Simon. How long are you going to keep this up?" Her soft hands took his and removed the rag.

The blood had dried in a sickening map of brown lines across his palm. The Void traced the wound a moment before directing him back to his chair... He hated how easily she could lead him, or how obediently he waited for her to return with the First Aid kit he kept under his bed. The fact she knew of its location sent a shiver down his back. He hated appearing so weak in front of her... 

Simon espeically hated the way she cradled his hand so carefully, or how skillfully she cleaned and stitched his hand the way *he* had shown her when they were children... Mocking him with her memory. Reminding him of a bond that was no longer there because he-

No- she changed! I didn't do anything wrong-

"Thanks..." So soft was his voice now. Like his knife, it now took him force to carve anything deeply. 

"It's what friends are for." She hummed and he took his hand back quickly.

"We're not friends... I'm not sure what any of this is." Simon snapped, resting his hand in his lap. 

"Then let's be enemies."

A nod was the only response he could manage at the moment. She moved behind him and gathered all of his hair back. He in turn, offered her up the hair tie he kept around his wrist. The Void twisted his hair up into a messy bun and secured it out of his face. She left her signature mark on the back of his neck. 

Her hands lingered on his shoulders a moment too long and he set his own on top of hers. It was almost comforting- but the moment didn't last. The entrance of the car was unlocked and the Void slipped away before anyone noticed her... With a heavy, almost sad sigh, Simon grabbed his jacket from where it hung on its hook and slipped it over his shoulders. 

With another sigh for courage, he stepped out into the light, ready to address his followers with more lies. Starting with the one that had become second nature to him. 

"Remember Apex. The Void is our enemy."


	6. Out of Harms Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon makes one last attempt to escape the Void- if only for a little while. 
> 
> No chapter warning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are now at chapter 6! What does that mean? Nothing really. I've been thinking about extending this story, but that's up to you guys!

**Two Years Earlier:**

_'The Apex takes care of one another.'_

_That was their creed. They both agreed on it when they took in their first member. That's what they continued to say whenever a new child dropped into their lap. They tried to uphold it to the best of their abilities..._

_Neither wanted to outright lie to someone younger than them-_ _But sometimes it was hard to keep that promise... Sometimes the issue afflicting a fellow Apex member was too hard for them to handle. Like in this moment, as Grace ran into Simon's room and grabbed his arm in both of her hands._

_The teen set down his tools and rose quickly. Panic was evident in Grace's eyes, though her face remained calm. He rose an eyebrow at her. Last he checked, she was heading off on a solo-lead mission with their newest members. A simple one to some sort of Deli-car so they could get a feel for how raids worked. He wasn't expecting her back so early-_

_"We've got a problem. One of the kids shot themselves in the eye with a harpoon-" She continued to pull him along and as always, he let her._

_"What do you want me to do about it?" Simon huffed. "Just get some ice and-"_

_Oh..._

_Just outside of his door was a weeping 4 year old, clutching her injured face and the pole end of the harpoon by extension. Blood pooled around her fingers and dripped onto the floor. Simon's stomach churned violently at the sight._

_Grace's hushed voice sounded next to him. "You were boyscout and you said your mom is an army medic- Do something."_

_"Right-"_

_"I have to get back to the others-" She passed him a pair of gloves. "Good luck."_

_"Thanks..."_

_Simon set to work shortly there after. All the while, he could practically hear his mother's voice instructing him through the procedure. The first step was to cover the unaffected eye and steady the harpoon rod. Any movement from either eye could make things worse..._

_'Bedside manner is important. If they're talking then they're still breathing... Keep them calm.' Too many steps- but it wouldn't hurt any more than impromptu eye surgery on a Mall floor._

_"Shh. You're fine." Was the best he could come up with. "I know it hurts, but you're almost done-"_

_A lie, but what else was there to say? 'Sorry we don't have pain killers'? Nothing else seemed to be calming the poor child down and it seemed like nothing would... Gritting his teeth, he continued to work through the girl's sobbing until she went quiet..._

_She was still breathing, and he assumed she had simply passed out from pain, but her silence was terrifying none the less._

_"H-hey, kid?" He nudged her shoulder carefully._

_More silence... Simon finished his work then. A few stitches here and there and a thick bandage was applied. The girl was out of harms way- if she didn't develop an infection in that time. There was nothing to be done but wait and see if she woke up on her own. A tired sigh left the teen as he scooped up the toddler and brought her back into his room._

_He set her on his bed and returned to his work- hoping Grace had an easier time on her mission without the one-eyed straggler._

_..._

_A sniffle and a pop awoke Simon._

_He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep as his desk. Dry pain stained his skin from where his face had rested against a miniature for too long. From outside his bedroom he could hear excited chatter of the Apex after a successful raid. Among them was Grace, whose voice never failed to bring a smile to his face._

_"W-where am I?" A little voice took that smile away. "W-why is it dark?"_

_"You're in my room, and you had an accident." Simon replied, tone even._

_"Simon!" She sounded so relieved to hear his voice._

_No one was ever relieved to hear from him. Not even himself. Grace had always been their beacon of hope. A ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark and uncertain world... He hated how happy she sounded. In his gut, he felt as though they were both betraying their leader by being happy without her around._

_"W-was it bad?" The child whimpered._

_He hated the thought of lying to the girl more than he hated her tone- but he also didn't want the tot to panic and make things worse for both of them. If Grace heard he couldn't keep one member under control-_

_"It wasn't too bad." A lie, "You're gonna have an awesome scar and-"_

_"A-A scar!?" Crap..._

_"Yeah- but scars give a man character!" That seemed to shut her up. "And character is cool, right? Don't you want to be cool?"_

_"I-I think so..." The girl sniffled. "B-but what if the other kids think its weird?"_

_Simon paused and drummed his fingers against the wood of his desk. Each tap represented a lie as it ran through his head. Every other tap was another second of empty air. Dark eyes slid from the child over to his still drumming fingers. They were sore, but they had their own secrets tightly._

_For tucked under the fingers of his gloves was his own spiderweb of pale pink scars. They paled in comparison to the one the child would be sporting- but she couldn't see that just yet. The coverings of his hands were shucked and tossed aimlessly onto the desk. The raised edges of his own scars seemed much higher than they truly were..._

_It would be proof enough to someone who didn't know any better._

_"Then you tell them I said it was cool." His uncovered hand found her little one and squeezed it tightly. The girl gasped._

_Her tiny fingers wrapped tightly around his hand and he flinched. No one was allowed to hold his hand except for Grace. It was an unspoken rule. He tried to pry her hands away from him._

_"Y-you have them too-" She tried to sit up. "Can I see them!?"_

_"When you're feeling better, um-"_

_"Lucy..."_

_"Lucy it is then."_

* * *

**Present Day:**

Normal was not a word Simon used often anymore... Nothing ever felt normal these days. His room, his dreams, even his skin felt as though it belonged to someone else. His numbers burned and itched and if that wasn't bothering him- the Void was. 

Even when she was away she seemed to influence him. He was beginning to distance himself from the Apex just as she wanted- stayed close to home instead of leading his teams... 

As the Void had so eloquently pointed out, he had even stopped going on raids. Something he used to love more than he loved Grace- It just didn't feel right going without her.

 _No- the Void wants that..._

"Apex, I'm going out... No one go near the Void until I get back." Simon muttered as he passed by his lot. 

"You're going alone?" The de facto leader could barely raise his head to look any of them in the eye. Let alone nod in response.

"Can I come too?" He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. 

It had been none other than Lucy who spoke. She already had a harpoon pack on and everything... And he was far too tired to argue with any of them now. 

"... Sure, but hurry up." The door slid open and he stepped outside, not bothering to check and see if the girl was behind him.

The act, or rather lack thereof, reminded him of his denezin the day she abandoned him to the Gohm and the Void... Unconsciously, he reached out a hand and took hold of Lucy's.

"Stay close, okay?" He was sure she nodded. 

Harpoons were aimed and fired at the roof of the next car. Neither spoke as they were lifted and carried off. Or as they jumped to the next car- or any other car for that matter. Lucy would follow without question and Simon just wanted to be as far from thought as possible. There was no need for words.

They finally landed on a Car that was worth stopping in and it was a hop, skip, and a jump to the door. Simon helped Lucy onto the landing and twisted open the door. It gave way to a forest of snow, with a little log cabin off into the distance. 

"Its snow-" Lucy whispered, wandering inside before Simon could stop her. 

"Its Randall, actually." 

She hadn't heard him, the girl was already too busy frolicking in the snow. Brown hair flew in crazy directions like some sort of comet as she tossed herself down and made a half hazard snow angel. Then she was off again, kicking up powdery snow in fantastic waves about herself. Simon watched her a moment longer before glancing back at the cabin.

He hadn't intended on visiting there... Not with company. This was just a brief stop for Lucy's sake. A bit of fun away from the stress of their car-

"Simon, think fast!" Before he could react a chunk of snow smacked him in the face. 

He wanted to be angry- wanted to show her the fury of the *true* Apex leader- but he laughed. He gathered snow without realizing it and chucked a snowball aimlessly. It barely grazed Lucy's forehead. She tossed her own snowball and it landed a few feet to the left-

The game was on.

A constant barrage of snowballs passed between the pair. Some landed, others flew far off into the distance. Lucy screeched with laughter and ran about the forest. Simon kept a distance from her, as the girl could throw an impressive distance even with one eye. 

"Better watch out, Simon!" She called between throws.

"No, YOU watch-" His voice died quickly.

Not because the dialog reminded him of a long (but not so long ago) forgotten time. But because there, just a yard ahead, stood a living reminder of what had happened here. Not the Cat as he had expected- but an older, angry, child-hating British woman. From behind her legs, there was an equally angry, Apex-hating null. 

"Lucy. Come here." Simon called, eyes focused on the pair. "Now..."

The brunette rose a curious eyebrow, but scampered over regardless. "Who are they, Simon?"

"We don't trust them..." He hissed through gritted teeth. "They're the ones who turned Grace..."

Amelia rolled her eyes, "Oh, is that what you think?"

"What are you doing here anyway?" Simon hissed, "Trying to ruin everything for me!?"

"Calm down, Simon." Amelia folded her arms, a smug expression passing over her face. "I'm not sure if you even realized this, but you don't own every-" 

"This is Samantha's car." The way Amelia's smirk turned into a frown was satisfying to say the least. 

"Of course it is..." Amelia muttered, withdrawing a scanner from her pocket and messing with the dial. "Hopefully she isn't home-"

"You're trespassing!" Lucy squeaked. The older woman only rolled her eyes.

Dark eyes flickered from Simon down to Lucy. "And who is this? One of your child soldiers from the cult?" 

"I'm Lucy-" The girl said, "Of the Apex-"

"The cult." Amelia looked back to Simon, "And I'm Amelia. Your false God."

_'The false conductor is a woman named Amelia! She doesn't care about any of us!"_

Simon broke eye contact from the false conductor and looked behind her. There was the turtle Null, hiding behind the false conductor in a false flesh. She could pass for human if Simon didn't know the truth. The murder in her eyes gave her away as one of them-

Lucy left his side in an instance. He couldn't see her face but knew that they had claimed their next victim... Another Apex member turned against him by a-

She kicked Amelia in the shin as hard as she could manage. Simon could barely suppress the laugh that left him. It didn't seem to hurt Amelia any, but she definitely seemed annoyed and that did his soul a service.

"Now, what was that for?" Amelia hissed, "You just found out your leader has been lying to you-"

Lucy drew in a deep breath. "I know- I don't care." 

The air went still around them all. The spotlight was on her. Even Hazel's attention had been taken off of her enemy to focus on Lucy. Then all at once, the wind picked up wildly. So sharp and biting it felt like knives were running across his skin.

Simon's stomach dropped. 

"Home is Hell now!" Lucy cried about the noise. "Simon and Grace weren't the best leaders but we were okay when they got along-"

Lucy grabbed fists full of her dark hair and pulled roughly at it. Simon winced. "I'm useless on my own- this Train is confusing enough as is without everyone changing the rules every five seconds-"

The blonde felt an invisible knife being stabbed into his chest. Lucy's voice no longer sounded like hers- but rather his own. Weak and tired and so far away from him now. Just trying to make sense of things as he had. Willing to overlook truth in order to have order- even at the cost of sanity. 

It was surreal to watch...

Lucy's sudden glare in his direction sunk the knife in deeper. "There is no Voi-"

A laugh cut her off. The wind seemed to stop all at once. Simon glared up at Amelia, who once again decided to simply mock the pain she had caused others instead of apologize. 

"You're all such a dramatic lot." She said, a snicker lining her words. "Its pathetic..."

"Shes not pathetic!" He hissed, a protective arm wrapped around the smallest Apex member. "At least she's honest, unlike-"

"Unlike you, Simon?" Hazel cut in. She took too many bold steps forward. 

"You-"

The wind picked up wildly and suddenly. Like someone had shaken the snow globe they were all in. It blew snow in blinding puffs around them relentlessly. Unyielding and cruel like the test of the Train. The temperature had also dropped significantly.

It was near impossible to breathe without inhaling ice. White clouded Simon's vision to the point he could no longer see Hazel- or Lucy for that matter. In fact, he wondered if the girl was still next to him or not... A strong shove nearly sent him tumbling forward. He was being directed by someone- Amelia most likely. 

It wasn't until he hit the cabin door that this was confirmed. It was just as cold as the rest of the car and it burned his skin. The door gave effortlessly and this time he tumbled to the floor with a hard thump. It took several seconds before he could pry his frozen eyes open. Simon found nothing but dark greeting him. 

"Told you she wasn't home." Hazel's voice whispered somewhere in the dark. 

"It would seem so." Amelia sighed, followed by a pop of a light switch. 

Warm light flooded the cabin's livingroom, illuminating the homey furniture and various knickknacks that lay about the place. Shaking arms forced Simon upright and he found Lucy still at his side. 

"S-Simon?" She muttered, rubbing her good eye. "Are we stuck here?" 

"For the time being, yes..." A groan punctuated his sentence. "We have to be careful though... These two aren't trustworthy."

"Simon... Neither are we." 

He didn't dare to disagree with her. 

The wind howled outside, yet the silence of the cabin is what made him feel the most unsafe...


	7. Story Unraveled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tempers flare in the cabin car.
> 
> Elsewhere, Grace makes her move.

Wind whistled loudly as snow beat against the windows of the cabin. The sound was almost as loud as Simon's heartbeat, which had since settled into his ears. The cabin had become dreadfully cold in the 3 minutes it had taken the Apex leader to find a corner and sit in it. So cold, in fact, that even Lucy had been bold enough to sit next to her leader.

Her tiny frame felt like a block of ice against Simon's arm, but he didn't think to move her. The company was comforting in a way.

"Should've brought a jacket..." He muttered absently. An attempt at small talk.The girl only hummed and rested her head on his shoulder. 

"Why didn't you?" Lucy muttered. 

Simon bit down on his tongue. There were things he'd never admit- at least not to another Apex member. One of those things being his latest encounters with the Void and how it seemed to be effecting his foresight, temperature at any given moment, and overall his ability to make sense of anything. Or anyone for that matter. 

"Didn't need it." Liar.

"You always say Apex needs to be prepared for anything..." 

Had Lucy said that? He wasn't sure and didn't care to be. Dark eyes glanced over to where the 'false conductor' and her pet were. They were quietly setting up a small fire in the fireplace. The Null looked up suddenly and glared hard at Simon. 

Not being one to be intimidated by a Null, he glared back. 

"You could help instead of just sitting there." Amelia barked suddenly. "Or does that go against your little cult's beliefs?"

The taste of copper exploded in Simon's mouth as he bit down hard on his tongue. He wanted to say something- but Amelia was sharp. He knew firsthand that she could toss back insults faster than he could... Doing that in front of Grace was one thing, but one of his kids? 

He'd rather die. 

"Shut it... I'm not in the mood, Amelia." 

Amelia scoffed. "And you think that I am? Trapped in the last place I wanted to be with the single most annoying child on this God forsaken Train?"

"You didn't have to come here." Simon hissed, "There are other cars you could have broken into..."

The old woman grumbled something but didn't reply. Simon smirked proudly. But just as he was about to revel in his victory, Amelia spoke. "So where is your partner anyhow? Or did you two split up after your last temper tantrum?"

"We didn't-"

"Pity... If she were smarter, she would have left you." The woman was watching Simon out of the corner of her eye now, her pupil reflected in the light of a low fire. "But she's not. She is just another arrogant teenager like you. You really weren't doing each other any favors..."

He knew already that she wouldn't. That she'd dig into his skin for her own amusement. And unlike the Void back home, Amelia wouldn't care if it killed him. This was the very person who had turned his only friend, after all. The creator of the Void-

No... Not a Void...

"Don't you DARE talk about Grace that way!" 

Everything had gone quiet. The pitiful fire as it burnt out, Amelia, Simon... For a splitsecond it was as if sound didn't exist inside of the cabin. The icelike silence surrounded the room until a soft gasp broke it. It shattered around them when Simon realized who the gasp has come from.

"Lucy-" 

"You called her Grace-" The hope in her eyes was sickening. "Sim-"

"I didn't-"

"Does this mean-"

"It doesn't-" 

He was flustered, annoyed, angry, hurt, embarrassed- ... Relieved... That last part vanished quickly as Amelia scoffed bitterly at the singed log in the fireplace. "While your melodrama is amusing, I'd appreciate assistance with a *real* issue."

"I can help-" Lucy squeaked.

"Don't help them, Lucy... They're the enemy." Simon hissed.

"But we're just as cold as they are... I'll be careful." She hopped to her feet before Simon could stop her and was over at the hearth just as fast. "I'm good at making fires."

"And a mess wherever you go apparently." The Null huffed, sights once again set on Simon. The murder in its eyes was enough to make the man flinch.

Simon's eyes then narrowed. "You cause a pulse that ejects cars, right? Don't lecture me on mes-"

The log hit him so fast his head slammed into the wall. Dull pain erupted throughout his chest and ribs and it felt near impossible to breathe. It hurt worse than when the half-finished wall fell on him. At least that landed slightly to one side on his harpoon pack and not directly on his chest. 

Through blurry eyes, he could see the creature smirk.

"Bullseye." 

It took a few tries before Simon was able to draw in enough air to reply. "You little-" Not a good reply, but at least he could *sorta* breathe again. 

But not enough. The reply zapped his oxygen again and spots were dotting his vision. He carefully lowered himself onto his side and shut his eyes. The pain was beginning to ebb away and eventually he felt he could breathe again. The first few breaths were painful, but it got easier. All the while, the Null laughed at his suffering.

Not the sweet, cute little laugh it has used when it tricked him and Grace. It was bitter and empty and all around inhuman. It lit enough of a fire in him that he pushed himself up despite the pain, located the log, and threw it as hard as he could.

It flew through the air and crashed loudly against the mantelpiece. The Null let out a shriek as the log split with a sickening CRACK on impact. Shrapnel was sent flying about the space. Lucy barely managed to block a large piece from smacking her forehead, but Simon would worry about her later... If the Null was looking for a fight, then-

"What in God's name did you do that for!?" Amelia shouted, "I knew you were daft but-"

Simon was to his feet before she could finished her sentence. An accusing finger was pointed at the Null. "Your pet started it."

The Null was up next, "Im no one's pet, Simon!"

"Shut it, Null." The man snapped, "You started this when you opened your mouth-"

The Null took a bold step forward, its bare foot thudding threatening against the hardwood of the floor as it stopped. 

"I'm not a Null!" Tiny teeth elongated into razor sharp fangs, "I'm Hazel!"

Despite the statement, the false human continued to change. Nails became claws, a chest took on the form of a turtle shell, and dark skin turned a sickly green shade. It was no more human than the next Null.

"You're a fraud! An imitation." Simon's knuckles turned white as he balled up his fists. "A Null."

"Say it again! I dare you." Fangs nashed together painfully. Simon smirked.

Despite the pain in his chest, he took a step forward. Then another, and another until he stood before the Null. It didn't back down, only backed up so it could look up and glare into his eyes. The reaction surprised him, but he didn't let it show. "A null. Not even a zero."

"And you're a jerk!" It hissed at him. The murder in the Null's eyes was replaced by pure frustration and hatred. "This is why Grace left you!"

Eyes widened and Simon set his jaw painfully. "Say that again... I dare you!"

He had no plan for what he would do if it said that again. Absolutely none. His knuckles were white and near frozen from the cold that surrounded them. Puffs of white air floated above his face as he inhaled and exhaled rapidly. Silence fell over them. Their shoulders shook violently both from the cold and the twin rage they felt for one another. 

From behind Hazel, he could see Lucy. She was pressed against the brickwall with a look of horrified fascination. The expression sent a lead weight into the pit of his stomach, but it was quickly consumed by the fire lit in him by rage. The man didn't bother to look at Amelia. He could feel her glaring holes into his skin. 

"You're just a _**Null**_ , Hazel..." His voice was calm, but his heart was hammering violently behind his chest. "Just like Tu-"

Simon had taken a step forward- not towards Hazel, but Lucy. There was a flash of green and a cry of "Simon!". Then white hot pain exploded behind his eye. It brought him to his knees and he grabbed at the affected area in a desperate attempt to stop the pain from spreading... It didn't work. 

Something wet and sticky poured over his fingers, and he didn't have to see it to know what it was. The smell of copper assaulted him seconds later. 

"I warned you, Simon." The Null whispered vengefully.

The pain continued to spread until his entire face felt like it was on fire. His already lungs refused to draw air, but the dots in his vision came from something else now. It felt as though the world were spinning, faster and faster... And then-

Silence.

* * *

.

.

.

They had been gone too long.

It had been an hour off. Then two hours- and now 8 hours had passed without a sign of the duo. In that time, Grace had freed herself several times over until the novelty wore off and her concern began to grow.

Grace walked the length of the catwalk, eyes fixed on the door. It hadn't moved in several hours. No one came in and no one went out... No one had dared to go out while Simon was away. The rest of the Apex members now worked quietly amongst themselves. The air in the room was off. 

She stopped at the center of the catwalk and looked out as the mass of children. None seemed to have noticed her yet- or perhaps they were still playing Simon's game. To ignore her as long as they could unless Simon said otherwise.

Grace decided to test that theory.

"Apex!" No one turned to her. That was fine. It gave her more time to talk.

"Simon and Lucy still aren't back- Its been too long! Our friends could be in trouble."

They knew it. They all muttered quietly to one another. Occasionally the tail end of a name would float up to her ears, but never a full sentence. All of the children were worried, but they were all too afraid to talk about it. Instead they chose to suffer silently because of some invisible threat. Her knuckles turned a caramel colour as she gripped the safety bar tightly.

"Apex, your "leader" is gone. The game is over! You can talk to me again!" 

For a moment, empty air answered her. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop from the next car over. 

Then there came a whisper. "But Simon says-" It was Ruby. Grace could see her frightened face in the crowd.

"Simon isn't here right now. Nothing is going to happen to you." Grace replied firmly, leaning slightly over the railing, "I'm not going to let anything happen to any of you."

The silence came back with a vengeance. The children all had their heads bowed, and not even their breathing seemed to make a sound. There was uncertainty and fear and anger amongst the crowd. 

"Apex, I'm sorry for whatever Simon did, but I'm back now and he isn't here." She drew a breath, "There is no Void. You don't have to keep pretending that there is-"

"We know- Thats not what they're worried about." Grace turned quickly. Maurice was starting up the lift with Aiden behind him. "We might be kids, but we're not stupid... Simon not coming back may be a good thing- but not Lucy... Aiden and I will help bring her back but we'll leave Simon up to you, Grace."

A smirk passed the young woman's lips. "I'd hope so... Lets go find them."  
  



	8. Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy and Simon make new friends.

Lucy had seen Hell. 

She had seen things that no 6 year old should ever have to witness. Had blood under her nails from when she was as young as 4. Her eyepatch was a testament of this- but also a blessing in disguise. For she only had to turn one eye away from things she didn't want to see. 

Her fallen leader was one of those things. 

She could watch the fire quietly, with no temptation to look behind her as the elderly woman gathered the blonde from the floor and dragged him off further into the house. She could imagine the flames with a dancing couple, twirling and spinning together happily instead... She didn't have to acknowledge the Null as it sat next to her on her left side. 

"Why are you traveling with Simon?" It asked. "You know he's evil, right?"

"... Simon is my friend..." Lucy stared harder into the flames. 

"He was my friend too..." The Null spat, clawed hands rising up to be closer to the warmth. 

"Simon doesn't like Nulls... You tricked him." Lucy swallowed thick bile as it rose in her throat. Her little hands shook as she too pressed them towards the flames.

"He tricked Tuba." Claws retracted back into human-like fingers. 

"... I dont want to talk about this." Her voice was soft but demanding... Like Grace's was.

In an instance, the cold felt colder and the fire did nothing to warm Lucy. She longed for home and for comfort. A hug from Grace or a page from Simon's terrible, terrible novel would suffice. Raiding until her legs burned would also be an acceptable change of pace. Anything that didn't involve this cabin, these people- this Null or a 'Void'...

"I didn't want this to happen." The Null muttered. "I really really thought I'd get to join the Apex... And be with cool kids like Simon and Grace promised... I had a house and a Tuba... It wasn't much but it was mine... I didn't mean to trick anyone or get Tuba killed... And now-"

"-Now you'd give anything to have that all back?" The creature nodded its head. "I understand that... The Apex wasn't perfect, but it was all I had..."

"Have you been here a long time...?" The Null's voice was softer this time.

"No... Only 2 years." Lucy sighed, "I think I was only 3 and a half when I got here-"

The Null gasped. "That makes you 6 and a half! Like me!"

A smile wormed its way onto Lucy's face. Its point of origins were unknown to her. "Y-yeah... I guess it does... D-do Nulls really have ages though?"

"Denezins- And we do!" A dark hand was held out in front of Lucy's own. "We're just like you... But we live here." 

"Forever? You don't even get off the Train?" The ~~Null~~ Denezin shook her head. "But then that means you're not real-"

"No! We are real." The Denezin pouted. "You have your world and we have ours... Does that mean you're not real here?" 

"No... I guess it doesn't." Lucy felt her smile return. She still wasn't sure why. "I guess we are more alike than I thought..."

She tried to force her smile away. Truly she tried. This was a Null. The enemy- a fake who clawed out her leader's eye right in front of her. She shouldn't be taking to it, or sympathizing with what was most likely a false story... Though somewhere in her heart, she knew it was very real. Lucy knew the kind of person Simon was- and even deeper in her heart she felt she could trust the denezin despite what had happened. 

The creature wasn't a monster. Just a hurting 6 1/2 year old like herself. 

"My name is Lucy, by the way... In case you didn't know."

"Hazel."

* * *

Simon awoke with a start-

His heart was hammering behind his ribs. Every beat was like millions of hot knives being pushed through him- all headed straight to the right side of his head- 

"Right..." He muttered bitterly. 

_I warned you, Simon..._

A sense of urgency overcame him at the memory. It only grew when his eyes- or rather eye opened and he found nothingness surrounding him. Just a pure, black void... The real one. 

"S-shit..." He tried to blink away the darkness, but that only seemed to cause him more pain.

His right eye stung, even with it gone. It still hurt so badly. Simon wanted to be anywhere and nowhere all at once. The least he could do was try and sit up slightly. Once- twice- three times before he finally gave up. There was no point if he couldn't see where he was.

So instead, he hopelessly continued to lay on his back. Even that part of him ached from being on it for so long... Another downside of finally having his conciousness back. 

"Just my luck..." 

No one answered, but he hadn't expected anyone to. He had woken up alone, he assumed. It was his guess alone where he was and how he had gotten there. It anyone else's guess where Lucy had gotten off to, or if she was ever coming back-

_If those two hurt her-_

A chill ran down his back at the thought. Anxiety began to overtake his thoughts. Scratching every surface of his brain with sharp little claws- embedding itself in his thoughts- a constant reminder of his situation. 

"So you're finally awake." An annoyingly British voice rang out in the dark. "Pity."

"A-Amelia-!?" Simon braced himself against what he assumed was a headboard of some kin-

No. He knew it was a headboard. An oak board with several intricate shapes and notches carved into it... It had been his own bed once. From a time long ago when the Cat had been kind enough to gift him a place to sleep at night- 

"The one and only." The bed was now his tomb and Amelia was the Devil waiting for him in this Hell. 

"What happened-" He tried to force an edge to his voice, but fear found its way through anyhow. Trembling hands finally reached up towards his face for the first time. He found thick bandages covering his face. 

"You and your little follower are a matched set now." Amelia mused. Simon could hear her heavy boots as she moved towards a window and opened it. "Only one of your eyes is gone, in case you were wondering."

"Which one-" Not that it mattered.

"The right one, moron." Amelia huffed, "Did you mean to ask such a stupid question or did it just fall out randomly?"

"A little from column A and a little from column B..." Simon muttered, "Where is Lucy anyhow...?"

"Still in the livingroom. I don't suppose she'd like to see her 'fearless leader' like this." The woman chuckled softly to herself. "Foolish leader is more like it... Has a better ring to it too."

"You're lucky I can't see..."

"Or you'd do what, Simon? I've kicked your ass before and I could do it again."

Simon frowned deeply. He would give his other eye to be out of this room and away from this person... Not literally, but he was willing to pay a high price for his peace. A peace he knew Amelia wouldn't give to him. 

"What? No response?"

"I'm thinking-" Not a whole lie. He was thinking, but not about a comeback. He thought about how screwed he was. Of how the Void had mostly likely taken back the Apex... Of how he was useless to fight back... He thought of how much he was beginning to miss his Voi- Grace. 

He missed Grace. 

Not how she 'used' to be, but just her in general. Even if she didn't miss him and would probably wheel him as soon as she found him. He longed for her and berated himself for having ever left her or wondered why he had saved her in the first place and vise versa. He'd give anything (except his remaining eye) to see her again-

A less than gentle knock came to the side of his head. "Simon? Have you finally died?" Right... Amelia was still there.

"No! Can't you leave me to sulk in peace!?" He groaned, batting at nothing as Amelia continued to knock on his skull.

"Absolutely not. When will I ever have the chance to torment you like this again?" 

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Another knock.

"Immensely." Of course. "3 decades on this Train and never have I had this much fun."

Bitter, sarcastic. Lacking any warmth or empathy... If it weren't for the British accent, Simon would have thought he was talking to himself. 

"Don't I feel special..." The blonde slid onto his side. 

"Come now, boy. Its no fun when you make it this easy." Amelia huffed, "Go on. Say something pathetic."

"You knew to cover both of my eyes." He hadn't meant to say that.

He could hear her fold her arms. "I know basic medical procedures, Simon. What surprises me is that you seem to as well." 

"My mother was a medic." Simon rolled onto his side in the direction he assumed Amelia was on. "I performed Lucy's surgery when she lost her eye."

"I figured as much." 

He didn't ask her to elaborate. There was a rustling at the side of the bed that went on for far too long... When it ceased, his head was knocked again. This time by a glass bottle of some kind.

"Whats this?" He asked.

"Brandy." Amelia replied. "It should help with any of this discomfort... The sooner you're back on your feet, the sooner you and yours will be out of my hair."

"... Thats why you're helping me?" Simon couldn't see it, but he was sure Amelia had nodded. "... I'm only 19, you know..."

"Who on this Train would honestly care?" That was true. With some difficulty, he managed to take the bottle in hand. 

"Thanks..." A pause. "Wait- how do I know this isn't soap or something?"

"You'll just have to trust me." Now that time he could hear the Cheshire grin in her voice. He grimaced a little at it and brought the bottle to his lips...

It was Brandy...


	9. Chateau D'If

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace and co head out in search of Simon and Lucy.

Grace had always considered herself to be a fearless leader. 

From the moment Simon began following her, she felt prepared for anything. There wasn't a situation too sticky or dangerous that she couldn't get them out of... Even when Simon left her side, she remained fierce and formidable. Her determination continued to shine through and the rest of the Apex saw it. 

And her children ended up being as loyal to their brave leader as she was to them. With Simon gone, they had given her back her throne and followed her orders once more. The latest order: Search and retrieve their missing members. 

For this, Aiden and Maurice had come with her. 

The dry air of the wastelands whipped around the trio. Little grains of sand and dirt found their way into Grace's eyes, drawing tears from them. She wiped them on her sleeve. This only succeeded in making her eyes burn worse, but she didn't mind. The princess and king were just a few cars ahead. 

Simon was in checkmate.

"How are we gonna find them? This Train is massive!" Aiden called above the roar of the running train. 

"I know where they went!" Grace called back. "Theres only one car Simon would willingly go to to get away... Its 3 cars ahead!"

The woman winced as more dirt was blown into her face. Her eyes, nose, and lungs burned, but she didn't let it show. She kept her features set. A look of brave determination and fierceness was carved into her face. 

And when Grace carved, she made sure her knife didn't slip. 

Maurice spoke next, "And what are you going to do when you find Simon? Do you really think he'll just give up-"

"He's going to have to." Grace ground her teeth together. Her harpoon pack was aimed at the next car ahead. The magnets fell a little far to the left for her liking, but it would have to do for now. 

"You're gonna make him an offer?" Aiden's voice sounded next to her ear as he followed her lead. "Hes not going to like that-"

"Yes, and he'd better take it... Because I'm finding it *really* hard to make any sort of offer!" She hissed.

"And what if he tries to hurt Lucy?" Maurice asked, harpoon rods held stiffly at his sides, "What then?"

"He wouldn't."

The gears within her pack ground loudly as they reeled in the thin wires. The dancer hopped over the edge of the car and was pulled effortlessly across the line. 

The bit of slack wobbled in the wind, and she tightened her grip. In her mind, she was preparing for a battle that the Apex expected but that she knew wouldn't come. She had tested all of her theories over and over in the privacy of Simon's bedroom back home. He was hers and not the other way around. Rescuing him would only cement this. 

Her sneakers squeaked loudly as they hit the top of the car at an angle. It was steep enough for concern, but level enough to allow her a few seconds to correct her stance. The Train creaked loudly underfoot and for a moment she was sure she felt the car leaning more to the left. A second later, and she was positive. For the steep incline became steeper and her unsteady feet slipped out from under her.

"Grace!" Her companions called from above her, cut off by her body hitting the edge of the metal car hard.

White hot pain exploded in her side and her right hand slid off of the harpoon handle. Whatever slack wire was left upon her landing had become tightly tangled around both itself and the hand that was still clutching the handle. There was no way to pull herself up with it.

To make the situation worse, the tangled wire sliced into her skin mercilessly. Blood seeped between her fingers and mixed with the sweat on her palm. The rod was becoming harder to hold onto. The wheels of the Train seemed to be inching ever closer-

"Aiden! Maurice!" Grace yelled. Hot dirt and dry air stuck to her throat and the act of yelling made her ribs ache. 

It burned to breathe, and to try and look around. The scent of blood was no thick and heavy on the air around her and her stomach stirred violently. The leader buried her face into her shirt in an attempt to escape the smell, but it only helped so much. From above her, twin sets of footsteps pounced hard against the metal roof as Aiden and Maurice rushed to her aid- or so she thought.

The footfalls went quiet, and yet she continued to hang. There was no aid, or any call down to her. A few seconds had gone by- then a minute- and then another. When she felt the wind let up a bit, she braved a glance up at the top of the car and found no one above her. No Aiden. No Maurice. Her followers had abandoned her.

_"We might be kids, but we're not stupid... Simon not coming back may be a good thing- but not Lucy... Aiden and I will help bring her back but we'll leave Simon up to you, Grace."_

No- they hadn't abandoned her. They came with to bring Lucy home- not to negotiate with Simon. They'd be bringing the King's enemy right to him. It be treason. And they all had seen first-hand how Simon handled treason...

"I'll be mad at them later-" Grace breathed through the cotton of her shirt. "I've been in worse situations without the Apex- Just stay calm, Grace."

A loud SQUEAK came as she slid several inches down the rod. The wires dug deeper into her hand. Her shoulder ached from being suspended for so long. She was running out of time to get out of this one. The wire would sooner slice off her hand and send her hurdling towards the wheels. Grace shuddered at the thought. 

She tried to push her sneakers against the slippery metal of the train, but couldn't gain enough traction to propell herself upward. Another squeak and her heart lept up into her ears. She shut her eyes and suddenly she was back on the bridge in front of the Apex car, about to be wheeled by a cruel king and his followers... Grace had escaped death that day. But what were the odds she could do it again?

"Pretty damn good..." 

Another slip and her eyes shut tighter. She was sure she had dislocated some part of her arm by now, but she continued to hold on as tight and long as she could. She waited, counting the seconds as she did.

_'Just a few more seconds... Just a few more-'_

*TWANG!* 

The tightly wound wire snapped and the handle in her hands no longer held her up. For a moment, she was weightless. Suspended by nothing but the illogical gravity of the Train. And then, she was falling. Faster down towards the unforgiving wheels and her possible death. It would be seconds now-

_1... 2... 3-_

All at once, the sensation of falling stopped. The air seemed to still around her. If not for the pain in her arm, she would he sure she was dead. A new pain enveloped her hand. A warm pressure mixed with several sharp pricks of what felt like tiny nails or- claws...

"Gotcha!" A voice sounded above her. A sweet, fierce, determined voice that reminded her of her own- but younger. 

"H-Hazel!?" Brown eyes flashed open and were quickly met by a very familiar denezin.

The little turtle girl was hanging from the edge of the car. A harpoon pack a few sizes too big was tied around her turtleshell. A little further up, stood Aiden, Maurice, and Lucy. Their faces were riddled with worry and relief. Grace turned a weary smile to her Apex kids.

"T-thought you were gonna leave me." She hummed, heart still hammering behind her sore ribs. 

Maurice smiled sheepishly back at her and shook his head, "One of us still has to deal with Simon... We had to get Lucy out fir-"

"Its okay...." 

There was a tug on Hazel's line, and the pair was slowly and carefully pulled to the top of the car. Grace's heart beat faster but for an entirely different reason now. She had so many questions for Hazel- so much she wanted to say and so many hugs to give-... But no sooner where they on steady ground did Hazel break away from Grace and move to her own side of the car. The act made Grace's heart ache, but she couldn't blame the denezin. Saving her had been enough.

"Thank you, Hazel..." Grace muttered, and the denezin visibly stiffened.

"Don't thank me... They said you arm was caught." The blonde looked down at her claws, "You needed someone who could cut the wire."

Gracd frowned, but then nodded. She then stumbled onto her shaky legs and looked over the group. Three Apex members and an estranged friend- but not the one she had come to collect. A glance over to Lucy and her stomach sank. The look the young girl gave her told her something was wrong.

"W-wheres Simon?" Grace cough through aching lungs. 

"Back at the cabin." Hazel replied in place of Lucy. "I'll take you all there- but then you have to leave, okay?"

Grace nodded numbly, and followed the girl as she lead them to a familiar cabin in the snow.


	10. Stopped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The showdown between the True King and the Void.

Her arm burned. 

It burned as it was wrapped up in thick gauze by Lucy. It burned as it continued to bleed and throb within the wrappings. It burned when it brushed Hazel's shoulder as the entered the car, and it burned worse when the cold air of the artifical world hit it. By the time they made it to the cabin, her fingers felt number.

She could hardly flex them enough to grab the handle and push open the door.

Somehow, she had managed. 

The cabin was just as figid inside as it was out. Even with a warm fire burning in the hearth, Grace felt a shiver running down her spine. There was a heavy presence in this place... One she hadn't felt since she was last here-

"Great... More riff-raff." Scratch that- there were two now.

"Amelia..."

"Grace..." 

The young woman straightened her shoulders boldly then turned to meet the steely eyes of Amelia. The False Conductor and the catalyst of this mess.

Amelia's number's glow surrounded her in an eerie light. It made the older woman stand out against the warm and welcoming backdrop of the cabin. The shadows cast across her face looked too intentional. Too perfect... Had she not been breathing, Grace would have thought she were just a Train made illusion of the real Amelia...

"I supposed you're expecting a 'Long time no see'?" The older woman frowned deeply.

"No... I just wasn't expecting to see you here." Grace replied stiffly.

"Likewise." Amelia smirked, and turned casually towards the kitchenette, "Well, since we're all trespassers, I think I'll steal some coffee and-"

"No."

"No?" Amelia glared over her shoulder. "And why not?"

"Where is Simon?" She would start there.

Amelia's eyes glinted a moment. "Oh, I see... Here to claim your little boyfriend? You two over your little sp-"

"That *ISN'T* what I asked!" Grace hissed.

"Rude. Is that anyway to talk to your 'true conductor'?" Amelia scoffed.

From behind herself, Grace could hear Aiden and Maurice muttering to themselves in awe. She could feel there eyes glued to Amelia and could practically hear their racing thoughts... She made a fist with her bad hand. Blood seeped between her fingers and boiled with her rage. 

"You're nothing but a bitter old woman who got a bunch of kids mixed up in your beef with the Train! Now let me talk to Simon!" 

The old woman rolled her eyes, "I'm not keeping him from you, you know? Second door on the right."

Grace stepped back. A dull throb ran through her arm. "Something happened to him- I'm not going to go in there and find a body, am I?" 

The false conductor scoffed. "Come now. I may be cruel and unusual, but I'm not above playing games-"

That was a lie.

For 8 years prior, in a pumpkin patch, Amelia had caused an unsuspecting children to start down the wrong path... Then another some time later...

Grace and Simon had been unknowing pawns in Amelia's dangerous game with the Train. A game had evolved as the children grew. To the point that they began to make up their own rules as they went... All in an attempt to keep playing... They had each taken a title, of King and Queen, and ruled their own tiny nation... Then the true ruler/false conductor had come out of hiding to throw a new rule in. 

And it all lead to this moment.

In one flip of the board, a new and far more deadly game had begun... They had been set up to play again and this time there had been bloodshed... 

Grace was done playing now. 

With a roll of her eyes, Grace started down the hall. Her arm burned and her fingers itched, but not from pain this time. But sheer determination and need to smack the shit out of Simon the moment she saw him-

But when the bedroom door flew open, the fire in her went out instantly. 

"Simon..."

The blonde jerked his head up, turned in the direction of her voice out of instinct. His eyes were tightly wrapped in the same gauze her arm had been. Different blood, but the same red stained his... "What happened to you...?"

"Hazel..." Simon muttered, voice tired and pained.

Grace took a step further into the room and shut the door behind her. "Is it- ... Did she-"

"Its just the one..." He muttered, slowly reaching up and pushing the bandage up his face to reveal (to Grace's relief), his undamaged eye. "What happened to your arm...?"

"Harpoon Cable... I'll be fine." She hummed, numb legs carrying her over to the bed as she did so. She took a seat at the foot of the bed. "We came to get Lucy... The kids said it's my job to deal with you."

"I figured as much..." 

"You figured...?" Grace scoffed, hands dangling between her knees. 

"I've had some time to reflect." Simon sighed, "Since my eyes have been wrapped up, I couldn't exactly run away from my thoughts."

"... Now how come it's only when you're down and out that you finally see the error of your ways?" 

"I wouldn't exactly say I could finally 'see' them, but-"

Grace knocked Simon's shoulder with her good hand, "Really? You're making jokes at a time like this!?"

"What better time to make them? You and I are at war, the Apex hates me, and I've been stuck here with Amelia!" 

"The Apex hates you because you were an asshole!"

"They wouldn't listen to me otherwise- You've always been the leader, not me-..." Simon's shoulders slumped tiredly. His head dropped into his hands, which hung miserably between his knees. Had this been any other time, and any other place, Grace would have thought to comfort him...

Thought, that is. This time, she moved into his space without thought. She gathered him up into both arms without a moment's hesitation. Like so many times in his bedroom, she planted gentle kisses to his cheeks and forehead until he stopped her.

"What are you doing-?" He asked.

"Comforting you." She replied before resting her face in the crook of his shoulder. "What else am I supposed to do?"

"Hate me? Berate me for what I've done? Kill me so you can have full control of the Apex again...?" Simon sighed, "Not love me-"

"This isn't love. We're enemies, remember?" A nuzzle punctuated her sentence. "You said so yourself. We're at war now... The True King vs The Vo-"

"Don't say it..." Simon muttered, so softly that Grace barely heard it. 

"W-what else am I supposed to say...?" She hated the way her voice trembled and the way her heart beat a little faster as she awaited his response.

"...Just... Say 'Grace'..." 

"... Its Simon vs Grace then." 

"No... Can it just be Simon and Grace...?" His voice was far away. Too far for Grace to reach. "Like it used to be...?"

"No-" Her arm burned as she wrapped it around his neck and drew him closer to her. "But I'll allow it just for tonight."

"And tomorrow?"

"You'll be an enemy of the new Apex... But since you saved my life and left my cage open, I've decided to do the same for you." She hummed.

"... Talk normal... Please?"

Grace hummed in thought and chose her words wisely. 

"I'm letting you leave and never come back... Or come back with me as a prisoner. I can't guarantee your safety with the kids, but the choice is yours." 

Neither spoke after that. They didn't have to.

Down the hall, Grace could hear the children quietly chattering away. Hazel's voice was among them. None of Grace's children seemed to mind conversing with a denezin. As a matter of fact, they almost sounded happy for once. It helped to put her mind at ease as she waited for Simon to make his choice.

There came a nod against her cheek. Simon's course hair tickled her skin as he did. His path was followed by a trail of soft kisses. Soft, and borderline kind. There was no rush. No threat of being caught by anyone who would care. When his lips claimed hers, she took that as his answer. 


End file.
